Present-day motor vehicles are increasingly being equipped with motor-actuable closure elements. Such closure elements can be, for example, doors such as side and rear doors, in particular sliding doors, flaps, in particular tailgates, trunk lids, hoods, cargo area floors or the like of a motor vehicle. In this respect, the term “closure element” should be understood broadly in the present case.
A convenience function currently accorded great importance is the automatic actuation of the motorized tailgate of a motor vehicle. The known method (DE 101 58 533 B4), on which the invention is based, provides for a user-side operator control event, namely the actuation of a radio remote control, to bring about the motor-based opening of the tailgate. The rear parking sensors of the motor vehicle are used here for the sensor-based detection of possible collisions with the motor vehicle surroundings, that is to say with components that should not be ascribed to the motor vehicle. The activation of the tailgate is deactivated in the case of the positive detection of such obstacles. Ideally, a smooth motor-based adjustment of the tailgate is thus ensured.
What is disadvantageous about the known method, however, is the fact that a slight change in the operating conditions for the motor vehicle, in particular a change in the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle, can lead to an impairment of the function of the above sensors. One example of a change in the mechanical configuration which can impair the function of the sensors by virtue of shading effects or the like is the mounting of a bicycle carrier. As a result this impairs the operating safety during the motor-based actuation.
The above situation is further aggravated by the fact that, in particular, the motor-based opening of tailgates is increasingly being triggered by user movements (DE 20 2005 020 140 U1). Here provision can be made, for example, for a user-side foot movement to bring about the motor-based opening of the tailgate. An above configuration change of the motor vehicle can disturb the sensor-based detection of the operator control events by the sensor arrangement.
The invention addresses the problem of embodying and developing the known method in such a way as to ensure a high operating safety in particular in the case of a change in the mechanical configuration of the motor vehicle.